ENRICH YOUR COMMUNICATIONS SKILLS

Today the liberalization and proliferation of media channels, a more youthful and vocal population and the rise of social media are transforming the Arab World.

In a rapidly changing communications environment, corporations and governments in the region need to build their ability to speak to younger and more sophisticated audiences.

ENRICH – Powered by TRACCS offers proprietary training programs led by seasoned practitioners who know the particular challenges faced by communicators in the Middle East & North Africa.

As a public relations company that was born and has grown up in the MENA region, we possess an acute awareness of the needs of businesses communicating to Arab audiences, and have successfully trained hundreds of corporate and government spokespeople in multiple markets across the region.

PRINCIPAL TRAINERS

Mohamed Al Ayed has been engaged in the public relations practice in the Middle East for more than twenty years and came to prominence in 1998 when he established TRACCS in Jeddah, Saudi Arabia. In just over 17 years he has grown the single operation to become the largest public relations network in the MENA region with 14 offices across 13 markets, serving a diversified portfolio of international brands, leading local companies, government agencies and NGOs.

Deeply committed to establishing an indigenous public relations industry imbued with a natural understanding of regional cultures and sensitivities, Mohamed has built TRACCS by employing and training local talent. In addition, he and the management team at TRACCS have up-skilled hundreds more through training programs conducted for employees of clients.

Continuing his quest to develop local talent, Mohamed innovated the Driver’s Seat initiative, an educational program designed to create awareness among university students about the importance and value of public relations. Launched in Saudi Arabia in 2012 in partnership with leading universities, the program has created a positive impact among the 300 students who have benefited by engaging in interactive sessions and workshop activities.

In 2013, the Driver’s Seat initiative won two prestigious global awards as the most innovative program and now in its fourth successful year the program is being extended to educational establishments across MENA.

As part of his mission to promote the public relations industry across the region, Mohamed organized and chaired Saudi Arabia’s first Public Relations Forum, drawing approximately 400 of the Kingdom’s leading PR practitioners and subsequently running for four consecutive years. The success of this initiative spread to Kuwait, Lebanon, and Oman, where TRACCS is an active promoter of the industry.

A believer and practitioner of Corporate Social Responsibility, Mohamed organized the first CSR Forum in Saudi Arabia under the patronage of HRH Prince Sultan bin Abdulaziz, Saudi Arabia’s late Crown Prince, and spearheaded the National CSR Initiative, a kingdom-wide public awareness campaign on the importance of social responsibility in Saudi Arabia. He also chaired the first CSR Conference held in Kuwait City and organized the first CSR Forum in Amman, Jordan under the patronage of HM Queen Rania Al Abdullah.

Mohamed is a member of the International Public Relations Association (IPRA) and has served two terms as Vice President of the Western Province for IPRA’s Arabian Gulf Chapter. He served as a board member of Communication on Top which organizes its annual public relations forum in Davos, Switzerland, where he participated as a keynote speaker for three consecutive years. He is also a member of the Arthur Page Society, a prestigious organization that includes CEOs of the largest global public relations agencies and heads of corporate communications officers.

Together with the TRACCS Management Team, Mohamed has built TRACCS into one of the most successful enterprises in the Middle East communications industry, earning a place on the list of the fastest growing companies in the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia and gaining global recognition with multiple award wins year after year including Best International Consultancy (Not UK Based) awarded by the Public Relations Consultants Association (PRCA).

In 2012, TRACCS took a Gold SABRE Award for Middle East Campaign of the Year by the Holmes Report, the Gold Stevie Award for MENA Public Relations Agency of the Year 2012 and the IPRA Golden World Award for Best Community Relations Campaign 2012.

Most recently, TRACCS won the IPRA Golden World Award for Best NGO Campaign, Most Innovative PR Agency by BOC London, and three Stevie Awards for Best Management Team, PR Agency of the Year and Most Innovative Agency.

TRACCS is ranked 109 (up from 120 in 2013) in the influential Holmes Report’s Global Rankings, the only Middle East agency to be included among the top 250 public relations companies worldwide.

Majdi Al-Ayed is an award winning public relations professional with nearly two decades of experience in the field of communications. He is one of the most prominent Gulf Arab practitioners to have helped build the industry in the region, and continues to contribute to its sustained growth, development and expansion.

Majdi began his career in public relations as a trainee at TRACCS. He has since played a driving role in building the company into one of the largest public relations networks in the MENA region – holding the role of Managing Director of TRACCS UAE (the company’s operational headquarters) and serving as Vice President for the TRACCS Network which currently includes 14 offices across 13 MENA markets.

His work with TRACCS has garnered several distinctions and numerous highly renowned international awards such as The Stevies, Sabre, PRCA and IPRA’s Golden World Awards. He is currently in charge of a team of more than 150 professionals across multiple markets, including the UAE.

As the Managing Director of TRACCS UAE, his primary responsibility includes the sustainability and growth of operations. He has conceptualized and led several award-winning campaigns and initiatives for a range of public and private sector clients including PepsiCo, AT&T, Qatar Airways, Kempinski Hotels, flynas, and specifically for Dubai Festivals and Retail Establishment, the entity behind successful initiatives such as Dubai Shopping Festival and Dubai Summer Surprises.

As Vice President of Network Affairs, Majdi’s key responsibilities include identifying potential growth markets and expanding the network, introducing new procedures and processes to enhance intra-office communications and business engagements, and ensuring unified network-wide performance and quality standards. Majdi has successfully spearheaded the launch of TRACCS’ operations in Bahrain, Lebanon and Kuwait. In addition, he is also part of the TRACCS Executive Team whose primary focus is to provide strategic counsel to the network.

Majdi is a leading advocate of the public relations industry and its growing importance in the MENA region, and regularly speaks at regional and international events on topics such as: The Future of the PR Industry and Talent Development & Retention.

Hassan Al Saleh is the Managing Partner of TRACCS Oman. Under his helm, TRACCS Oman has evolved into the largest and fastest growing public relations firm in the Sultanate since opening its doors in 2007 and has contributed significantly to building a rigorous and dynamic public relations industry in Oman.

Creative and results-driven, Hassan has over a decade of experience in devising and executing strategic public relations and communications programs for some of the world’s most renowned brands and high-profile corporations. His expertise in reputation management extends across multiple industries from Banking, Oil & Gas and Aviation to FMCG, Fashion and Luxury.

Hassan received his Bachelor of Science degree in Business Administration from Georgetown University in Washington DC, USA with Magna Cum Laude distinction. He is accredited as a Certified Trainer by the Public Relations Consultants Association (PRCA) and has served as the Oman Vice-President and Board Director for the International Public Relations Association – Gulf Chapter (IPRA-GC).

Radhina Almeida Coutinho crossed over to the world of public relations in 2009, having previously worked as a sub-editor on publications such as Gulf News, XPRESS and Sport Xtra; as a features writer and then deputy editor at Millionaire and RetailME; and as a freelance contributor to travel, media and marketing magazines such as Gulf Marketing Review, Communicate, Etihad Inflight and Four Seasons Magazine.

At TRACCS UAE, Radhina’s role as Regional Director has involved leading key regional accounts and projects, overseeing the creation of English editorial, key message development, media and editorial training as well as creative input and strategic support on a diverse portfolio of clients.

Radhina has worked on a number of high-profile accounts in the UAE and across the GCC in the fields of hospitality, tourism, retail, real estate, FMCGs, entertainment and yachting, with clients such as Four Seasons Hotels and Resorts, Facebook, Kempinski Hotels, Southern Sun Hotels, Rotana Hotels and Resorts, BurJuman, BinHendi, Beiersdorf, Ferrari World Abu Dhabi, Yas Waterworld Abu Dhabi, Dubai Shopping Festival, Dubai Summer Surprises, Gulf Craft and the Abu Dhabi Yacht Show, amongst others.

She has conducted a number of workshops within TRACCS and for local media institutes on various aspects of writing, editing. media training as well as crisis communications.